There is a need for small hand operated or simple bench mounted tools that may be efficiently used to terminate conductors to terminals of a connector on a small quantity basis. One such terminating tool is the Terminating Head part number 58336-1, manufactured by AMP Incorporated, Harrisburg, Pa. The tool is arranged to be attached to a standard pistol grip handle for manual actuation, an air powered handle, or may be mounted to a work bench along with an air power unit for power actuation. The tool, a front view of which is shown in FIG. 1 and identified as 10, is limited to terminating discrete wires only, however, the present invention is broadly applied to such tools that accommodate the conductors of ribbon cables as well as discrete wires. As is shown, the tool 10 includes a frame 12, a terminal strip guide 14, and an insertion mechanism 16 which is driven by a ram 18. A connector having a strip 20 of terminals partially assembled thereto is positioned within the frame so that the strip of terminals rests on a work surface of the guide 14 and the left most terminal is in alignment with the insertion blade. A discrete wire is inserted from the front of the tool into a U-shaped opening 22 so that it is between the insertion blade and the first terminal. The ram 18 is then caused to move downwardly, as viewed in FIG. 1, causing the wire to be pushed into the insulation displacement contact of the first terminal. A somewhat L-shaped feed arm 24 is pivotally attached to the frame 12 and moves a feed finger 28. After each insertion the arm 24 is actuated on the return stroke of the ram to feed the strip of terminals to the left one position, ready for the next termination. The conductor is sometimes bent or positioned slightly out of alignment with the insertion tooling causing a defective termination or a jamming that reduces productivity and may result in damage to the tool. Various guide members have been utilized to align the conductor directly under the insertion blade. These guide members are usually carried by the ram or the insertion blade and must be fully retracted from the terminated terminal prior to feeding the next terminal into position. However, with a short stroke tool such as the present one that also uses the return stroke of the ram to effect the feeding, there is not sufficient ram travel to withdraw the guide members and effect the feeding.
What is needed is a guide member that effectively engages, moves the conductor into alignment, and confines the conductor there until termination and then quickly withdraws while leaving most of the return stroke within which to feed the next terminal into position.